Tube cutter



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TUBE CUTTER Filed March 28, 1946 Fi g. l.

INVENTOR Eugene Gapewel/ BY m Patented pr. 4, 195.0

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TUBE CUTTER Eugene R. Capewell, Moorestown, N. J.

Application March 28, 1946, Serial No. 657,863

1 Claim.

This invention relates to tool-s adapted to cutting soft tubing such as brass hydraulic tubing, or copper tubing used in refrigeration systems and other apparatus where such tubing is commonly used.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple and eiiicient means for cutting tubing and more particularly when such tubing is in erected position where a minimum of space is available for operation of cutting devices.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tube cutter that may be operated by one hand to enable the operator to use the other hand for controlling the tube to be cut, and whereby the cutting pressure may be gradually applied while oscillating the device so that the tube may be cut with a minimum of distortion and burring.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tube cutter wherein the movable cutter member is slidably controlled in absolute alignment with the fixed cutting members, and whereby a maximum of pressure may be easily applied so that the resistance to cutting action may be felt and proper pressure determined for smooth cutting.

These and other objects will 'be readily apparent from the speciiication as is hereinafter fully disclosed.

in the accompanying drawings,

Figure l shows a side elevation of the invention, and

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken on line a-a in Figure 1, and

Fig. 3 is sectional elevation taken on line b-b in Figure 1.

Reference characters indicate the same parts in the several drawings.

In the practice of the invention as hereinafter exemplied, the body portion or housing I of the device may be made from sheet metal stampings to provide complementary side wall sections which comprise the housing for the respective fixed and movable cutting members. Spacing members 2 are interposed between the two parallel body members I and are secured in suitable manner to form a rigid housing or body portion I. The housing as thus fabricated is substantially U- shaped and has a rigid handle portion extending laterally from the leg of the housing in the same plane therewith.

Tool steel tube cutting members 3, having sub- I stantially thin cutting edges centrally disposed are abutted on each side by a fiat roller section, the entire wheel being so designed as to provide a maximum of support for the cutting member to prevent wobble or side motion when pressure is applied. The wheels t are rotatably disposed in the housing I and are supported by shafts or pins Il which may be riveted or otherwise secured to prevent spreading of the housing while allowing free rotation of said wheels.

A movable wheel carrying member 5 as shown by dotted lines in Figure 1, is interposed between the sections l of the housing in such manner as to be easily reciprocated, but is so mounted that there is no side shake or movement, and has a tool steel cutting wheel 5 mounted in a slot provided therein (slot not shown), and is rotated upon a pin or shaft "i which may be riveted or otherwise secured to prevent side shake or wobble of the cutter while permitting free rotation of said wheel when operatively applied.

The movable wheel carrying member 5 is supported upon rollers S interposed between the sections I of the housing rotates on shafts or pins 9, said shafts being secured in such manner as to prevent spreading the housing members l while allowing the movable member 5 suiiicient space to move freely without side shake and permit freedom for the supporting rollers to rotate.

A substantially right angled bell crank lever I0, as shown in Figure 1, that has a short leg and a long leg I0 is mounted in the leg of the housing I across which the single cutting wheel is mounted. The lever is iulcrumed in the housing on a pin I l at the base of the U in alignment with said leg. This fulcrum is at the extremity of the short leg and the other end of said leg within the housing has a nose I 2 that enters a suitable notch I3 in the mount 5 of the single Y wheel cutter 6 and provides the complementary means for reciprocating said member 5 and providing the necessary controlled pressure for cutting a tube during the oscillating movement applied to the device when operatively used. This is accomplished by having the long leg I0 of the lever I0 extending from the housing in substantial parallelism with the housing handle whereby an operator by a single hand grip of the two handles may control the cutting pressure during operation of the tool solely by rocking the short leg on its lever. The housing i of the device may be made from a forging and the various apertures for receiving the several working members may be milled therein to produce the desired tool. Various types of springs may be interposed between the cam lever and the housing to hold the cam follower wheel carrying member 5 in retracted position, however, as these springs are Well known in the arts they are not shown.

It will be noted that the pivot pin I I is the fulcrum for the outer end of the short leg of the bell crank handle lever lll', and that it constitutes the apex of a triangle of which the rollers 9 form the base. By this arrangement the short leg of the lever is housed and operates entirely Within the side Walls, thus eliminating any possibility of wobbling.

What is claimed as the invention and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

A portable tool for cutting standing copper tubing comprising a U-shaped housing with a pair of spaced rotatable cutters mounted in one leg of the U and a single rotatable cutter cooperating therewith, a carrier for said cooperating cutter slidably mounted through the other leg of the U- housing, a stationary handle extending laterally from the extremity of the leg of the U through which the single cutter is mounted, a substantially right angled bell crank lever having a short leg and a long leg, a fulcrum for the extremity of short leg of the lever in the base portion of the U- frame, a nose in the opposite end of said short leg of said lever for engagement with said cooperating cutter carrier, and the long leg of said lever extending from the housing in normally substantial parallelism with the housing handle whereby an operator by a single hand grip of the handle and long leg of said lever may control the cutting pressure during operation solely by rocking the short leg of the bell crank lever on its fulcrum.

EUGENE R. CAPEVVELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 52,715 Howarth Feb. 20, 1866 326,327 Pickett Sept. 5, 1885 912,248 Levin Feb. 9, 1909 1,023,001 Bennetch Apr. 9, 1912 1,181,654 Eifel May 2, 1916 

